Continue On
by MissTreeCat
Summary: No sgurb AU as the trolls hit a certain age, their body starts deteriorating, depending on their blood color, they have so much time left. With a few of her friends already gone, she has to face the fact that she's next. As she starts to get sick, Terezi tries to make her last few weeks as memorable as she can for the small cat troll.
1. Nepeta: attend funeral

**Nepeta== attend funeral **

You look down, the latest grave was filled. 'Sollux Captor', your eyes start to water, you can't help it. No one can, it's just their time. They hit the age where they got the illness. But why so early… Well, perhaps for them it isn't actually early, maybe even a bit late. No one expected Karkat to get sick so young, although, his blood wasn't on the hemospectrum.

You can feel your meowrail behind you, he doesn't know how to comfort you, and you know that, at least he's doing something.

"Hey…" Tavros timidly interrupts the moment for everyone, but you're kinda grateful, the silence was even worse than the first two times. "It's okay right… Uh, it's just natural.. And sure it's sad now… But we need to just… Well, keep going, right?"

You smile at that, he was always trying to cheer everyone up for the past few sweeps. Gamzee leans down slightly and wraps his arms around the wheelchair bound troll. It breaks your heart to know that he's the next one… Oh dear you start tearing up again.

"Nepeta." Your meowrail speaks softly, you aren't sure the last time he spoke so kindly, everyone's been so stressed, so scared lately, probably because Sollux was sick.

You sigh lightly and look up to him, you wouldn't be surprised if he was more upset than he looked. You offer a small smile and he gives one in return. It's been a long day, you could use some rest.

"Hey! I think we could all use some rest okay?" Feferi offered a smile, although, her face was still flooded with sadness. But that didn't stop everyone from agreeing.

You slowly walk off with your meowrail's hand held tightly with your own. He walked you to your hive, it didn't take too long considering you all lived quite a bit away, although still in walking distance, from each other. The two of you sit in a long silence before he speaks softly.

"Would you like me to stay?" You look up at his sincere expression, he knows how you got after Karkat's death, and then Aradia's… He was obviously worried you'd go into another round of tears. But you shake your head.

"You have things to do tomorrow, Vwisker's arm is broken afur all." You giggle lightly, the only thing you could force out with your monotoned words.

"I could put it off Nepeta, I'm sure she would understand." You just shake your head and put a smile on before hitting his arm lightly, "It's fine! It's not like having a big sweaty guy in my hive will change anything!"

He sighs, looking at you sadly before nodding. "Okay… I suppose…"

Another minute of silence and you sigh as you turn to the entrance of your cave, "Pyrope is going to be joining you shortly."

You huff and turn to argue but the look on his face breaks your heart, you silently give up the argument as you walk over and hug him tightly. "Thank mew…" You whisper before pulling back, feeling like you're going to cry again. But you can't do that, he would never leave if you did. So, you turn back around, walking into your cave so you can wait for your furend to come join you.

It was almost two hours later that your furend finally showed herself. You could hear her a mile away, you smirk a little to yourself at her careless walking, it was like she wasn't even trying to be stealthy. But you were, you weren't passing up the chance to pounce on your friend. You slowly creep into the bushes near your hive and wait. It isn't long before she walks up to the cave to peer in, and that's when you do it. You quickly jump from the bushes and pounce on her, the two of you tumbling to the ground with a yelled, "Nepeta!"

Well… That wasn't the reaction you were hoping for… You look down at her with a small smile, "What's wrong purezi?"

She sighs lightly and you sit up a bit, "Nothing it's just… On edge.." She gives a small smile and looks up at you. "I heard someone wasn't feeling well."

You giggle lightly, "Equius is such a worry wort!" You get up off your furend, holding out your hand for her.

Terezi grabs it and stands with you and you two share a small giggle before the two of you slip into your hive.


	2. Nepeta: get scared

**Nepeta == get scared**

It had been a fun night of playing games with Terezi, hide and seek, find the mysterious red dot, and bunches more. It was only when the two of you were about to go to sleep that you two sat up in unison. "Someone's here?" You raise an eyebrow.

She sniffs the air a few times before looking even more surprised than you, "Blue raspberry?"

You both exchange a look before Vriska comes into sight, huffing for breath as she leans against your cave opening. Terezi instantly tenses, like she knows something you don't and that, well that scares you.

"Vwiskers what are you-" Terezi cuts you off by putting her hand up, she's never done that before, what was happening?

"Serket…" Her voice had a hint of fear.

"Nepeta… Terezi.. I…" Vriska took a few more gulps of air, what had she run here?

You can feel your eyebrows drawing together, this was exactly like every other time… When Aradia got sick, when Karkitty got sick… When Sollux locked himself in his block and refused to do anything… He wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep… And then it clicked.

You shot up out of bed, running past Vriska. You ran and ran, you could hear Vriska and Terezi behind you, calling you, but you couldn't stop, this was it, this was the 'Tavros is sick' news, and you, well you couldn't hear that. It was the day Sollux had been buried, this couldn't happen, this didn't happen. You ran, and ran, and ran until you couldn't anymore and you collapsed, olive green tears making their way down your cheeks, dripping onto your pants.

This couldn't happen, you weren't ready, sure you probably had a sweep or more until you got sick, but Tavros was a good friend… Is, he is a good friend, you can't think like he is already…

You let out a sob at your own thoughts, maybe Equius should have stayed? You don't care, all you can think about is Tavros and Sollux and Aradia and Karkat and how unfair this is, and how much you wish this didn't happen.

You know the sun is going to come up soon, if you don't go back you could get burned, and for an instant you want to move either way. But that soon changes when you hear a soft voice behind you, "Nepeta." You quickly turn, coming face to face with Terezi, her cheeks stained with teal. She looked worried and out of breath and you knew it was your fault. "Purezi…" Is all you can get out. She gives a light sigh, her hand being held out to you.

Without words you take her hand, lightly bringing you to your feet. The silence continues before you're back at your hive, the sun making it's way up. Vriska was still there, but you expected that, her hive was too far to walk when the sun was about to come up.

You didn't sleep that night.

"Tavros!" Everyone decided to come and visit, it had already been half a sweep since Tavros got sick, you all know he doesn't have much longer, but he was really toughing it out, you don't know if it's for Gamzee, or he just really wants to live. Both reasons broke your heart and you hold back your tears as best as you can.

He smiles at all of you, but you can tell he's exhausted, dark brown bags under his eyes that would put Equius' to shame, a blanket was draped over his lap. His horns had turned paler, a sign that a troll is sick. You wonder how long he has, the other trolls died around a quarter to a half a sweep, maybe the sick period got longer depending on your blood color. You shake your head as you easily think of the hemospectrum. It was easy to ignore when you were all wrigglers, but now, it's the only thing you can rely on anymore. The only person who doesn't seem too affected by all of this is Eridan, but you know you saw him shed a tear at Karkat's funeral.

"How is a motherfucker?" Gamzee gave the best smile he could, but you knew he was hurting worse than anyone. Gamzee had told Tavros that he was red for him a few days after you all found out about his sickness, but Tavros refused to go into a quadrant, saying it would hurt more if he did.

"Oh, I'm okay, not as strong as I was a while ago, but it's fine." You closed your eyes at his words, he had gotten weaker every day, you knew it was a sign of death right around the corner.

"Yeah… Yeah you're gonna be fine bro, got like, at least a sweep left man." Gamzee gave a short laugh that Tavros joined in, it was pained and sad and you had to leave the room. How could everyone still joke, how could _Tavros_ still joke?

You wiped your eyes before feeling a hand on your shoulder, you turned, facing Tavros. "Nepeta… I think we should talk… Just the two of us though." He gave a small smile, that you did not return, you didn't have it in you.

"Look I uh.. Know this may be hard and stuff for you but, I'm okay with this…"

Your eyes widened slightly, no one could be okay with this, how could he of all trolls be okay with this?

"W-Why?" Was all you could force out.

"Because I know.. There really isn't getting around it and… Well I mean, I'm scared, but I'm okay with this… So I mean if someone makes a joke or something, it's not really bad.. But I mean, I know you're next and I don't have that long…" He trailed off, you could feel your heart start to hurt.

"Tavros…" You say sadly and you can feel tears start to form in your eyes, he shakes his head.

"No tears. No tears just smiles, okay?" He gives a smile and you wipe your eyes, collecting yourself and give a smile back.

"Thank mew…" The two of you continued back inside, although you were sure to show him a smile as much as you could.

Your name is Nepeta Leijon, and you know it isn't too long before your friend joins the others on the top of the hill.


End file.
